


Caught at the Inbox

by IronBritches (Jammit_Sammy)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Boys In Love, College, Fluff, Getting Together, Holidays, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark at MIT, M/M, MIT Era, Pet Names, Secret Admirer, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:56:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21979939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jammit_Sammy/pseuds/IronBritches
Summary: Tony has been receiving gifts and letters from a secret admirer for a while now. It's the only thing getting him through finals week.This was a prompt fromgayoccultismon my Tumblrgoldenageofespionage.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 132





	Caught at the Inbox

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ManaWyrm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManaWyrm/gifts).



> This is very fluffy, and I love them. The writing I feel is a bit disjointed, but so are my boys!

Tony was tired. It had been approximately sixty-three hours, forty-nine minutes, fifty-six seconds and counting, since he had last slept. It was finals week, and he was getting his ass handed to him. 

It wasn’t that the finals were hard, necessarily. He was a genius after all. But they weren’t easy, and the hours were taking a toll on his body. Rhodey liked to point out that Tony had kept himself awake for longer while on an inventing binge, but Tony counters that he’s in a zone then. He was most definitely not in a zone for finals week. And he decided finals would be what finally got him. Not the drinking, or terrible self care habits, or questionable sexual practices. Just good, old-fashioned college finals.

Rhodey would say he’s being dramatic. To that, Tony says “pfffbt”. Which is the sound that occurs when he blows a raspberry.

The only saving grace of his shitty finals season, was his secret admirer. At first, he had thought their dorm was doing a Secret Santa he hadn’t been aware of. It happened last year, and people were very upset with Tony for not participating. But no one else in the dorm was getting gifts. He would know, he asked.

Tony’s last final had ended about thirty minutes earlier, and he had gone straight to his dorm building. The plan was to stop by his inbox to check for a new gift, then head back to his room to Rip Van Winkle. 

Walking into the room, he had his head down to look at where he was writing equations so he wouldn’t forget them after his nap. When he looked up, Rhodey was staring at him with a stricken look. For several moments, they were staring at each other in tension filled silence. Then, Tony registered what he was seeing.

Rhodey, his best friend, savior, and long-time crush, was putting a gift in his inbox. The same inbox that his secret admirer left gifts in. 

“You weren’t supposed to be back yet. You always go to the lab after your 11:30 class. Why aren’t you in the lab?”

Tony, objectively, would find the situation hilarious if he weren’t so damn confused. Rhodey looked ready to bolt, hand halfway into Tony’s inbox. 

“It’s finals week and I wanted a nap. For once in my life, lab time can wait.”

“Of course,” Rhodey murmured under his breath.

“So… you think my eyes are like sun-dappled whiskey?”

A loud groan was the only response Tony got. “Stop. Please. Lord above, this is embarrassing. You weren’t supposed to know it was me.”

While Rhodey looked morosely at the ground, Tony walked up to him and wrapped his best friend in a hug. “I’m glad it was you.”

Tony refused to look at Rhodey’s face while he spoke, pressing his forehead to the taller boy’s shoulder and speaking to his pec. “I’ve had the biggest crush on you since Freshman year. When you pulled me out of a fight with that stupid Senior.”

Rhodey snorted, causing his shoulder to jostle Tony’s head. “Tony, I saved your life. Don’t downplay it.”

“Yeah, yeah. Hush. I totally could have taken that guy who had one hundred pounds and a whole foot and a half on me. Totally could have.” 

“I’m sure you could have, you little gremlin,” Rhodey said fondly while stroking the curly brown hair on Tony’s head.

“You know what I definitely could do, though, Platypus?” Tony fingered the fringe of Rhodey’s jacket as he spoke.

“What's that, Squid?”

“Go on a date with you. But only after I sleep for approximately 72,000 years. Now take me to bed, please.”

Chuckling, Rhodey lifted Tony into his arms bridal style and carried him up to their room. Both boys could tell it was going to be a great holiday season.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos make me dancey.


End file.
